Blood Orphans, Special Moves, Panoramic, The Expos at Le Voyeur in photos
Author: bella.king
Watch the Tallest Man on Earth cover Adele
The Tallest Man on Earth appeared on Swedish television recently to cover Adele’s 25 song, “When We Were Young.” Kristian Matsson played the song with the group Augustifamiljen on a game show called “På Spåret.” Watch it below.
Watch Julien Baker perform “Turn Out the Lights” on “Colbert”
Julien Baker made her late night debut performance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last night.” She played the title track from her album Turn Out the Lights. Watch her performance below.
Watch “Portlandia”’s final season’s new trailer
Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen will return to IFC on January 18th for the eighth and final season of their show “Portlandia.” They have now shared a trailer for the new season and it features their feminist bookstore characters Toni and Candace, a goateed Fred Armisen with a guitar, and Kyle MacLachlan. Check it out below.
Justin Timberlake announces new album Man of the Woods
Justin Timberlake has announced his next album titled Man of the Woods, and it is set to be out February 2nd. A new song will also come out January 5th. Watch the announcement video below and it features new music and an appearance from Pharrell. “This album is really inspired by my son, my wife, my family, but more so than any album I’ve ever written, where I’m from,” Timberlake says. “And it’s personal.” Man of the Woods will be Timberlake’s first LP since The 20/20 Experience 1 and 2. He also shared what could be the album cover and features photos by Ryan McGinley. Find it below.
Flying Lotus shares new song “Quarantine”
Brainfeeder has shared a new mix to start off the new year. The collection was mixed by PBDY and features tracks from artists on the label. The very last song on the mix is a new track from Flying Lotus called “Quarantine.” Listen to the 46-minute collection below. The mix features remixed Thundercat songs as well as music from Iglooghost, Lapalux, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, and more.
The Melodic Tree’s Top 3 Albums of the Year
Ben Varian seems to have perfected the craft of pop music. with somewhat absurd lyrics and upbeat melodies and instrumentations makes it the ultimate pop album. Bringing the mundane into lyrics and making it actually enjoyable is a very difficult feat but somehow he made it. The name of the album is also aptly titled as it filled the time Ben was not doing something else, like going on tour with Dent May or recording a 24-hour live album.
2. Florist – If Blue Could Be Happiness
Florist is one of those bands that will tug at every one of the heart strings in your body whether you want it or not. The simplicity of this album is what intitally draws the listener in and the fragility in the lyrics keeps them in. In order to make sense with a parent’s death, Emily Sprague finds logic and comfort in everyday affairs while somehow still showing empathy through the lyrics about coping with loss.
One of my favorite projects of the last few years recently put out its final release under the name. Filled with songs digging deep into his childhood and the pain that came with it. “At home there’s blood on my bed/and no running water/there is a room i don’t go in/i see myself through the door/me and my mom used to hide there/crying our prayers through a window.”
The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist
1. Window – Coma Cinema
2. Veil – The Washboard Abs
3. Cassette Jam One – Ada Babar
4. Capacity – Big Thief
5. Bread – Ben Varian
6. Time On Her Side – Future Islands
7. Heart Basel – The Drums
8. Glowing Brightly – Florist
9. Losing All Sense – Grizzly Bear
10. Road Head – Japanese Breakfast
11. Never Been Wrong – Waxahatchee
12. Baybee – Jay Som
13. 123 – Girlpool
14. Star Roving – Slowdive
15. Hard to Say Goodbye – Washed Out
16. Appointments – Julien Baker
17. The Embers – Vagabon
18. Apocalypse – Cigarettes After Sex
19. Real Death – Mount Eerie
20. Kept Women – Fleet Foxes
Favorite Bandcamp Releases of 2017
Even though it isn’t technically out until next February, 2018, Ada Babar blessed us with putting it up on their Bandcamp this year. Their music is filled with seemingly inconceivable midi controls and even airhorns (as heard on “fav chair”). Ada put out a rather spontaneous album in a seemingly repetitive genre.
Body Meat & The Washboard Abs – Redux
This split was the second of three releases from Body Meat and one of two from The Washboard Abs. Body Meat’s side of the split are a few of the best songs is filled with experimental songs that feels amorphic and as if everything in pop makes sense all at once. The Washboard Ab’s side features full band songs from previous songs and unreleased songs that seem to make the Washboard Abs as full sounding as they have ever been.
Pleasure Systems – Antumbra Pull
Although I’ve listened to this album for critique several (several) times before the release and know Clarke Sondermann well, hearing the progress and emotions that went into the release in anticipation is why it made this list. Dedicated to their partner and is filled love and thank you notes to him, makes it one of the most sincere albums to be put out this year.
Ben Varian – The L.A. Concession
One of my favorite artists is also seemingly one of the hardest working ones as well. Having put out seven (7) releases (this EP, a live album, a 72-track “food journal” with Jake Tobin, a “Christmas gift” with his partner, a 24-hour recording session, a full-length album, and another album?), as well as go on tour with Dent May over the summer, this EP is both surprisingly nd unsurprisingly one of the best pop releases of the year. Ben never seems to dissappoint with absurd lyrics mixed with almost always upbeat melodies.
Lily and Horn Horse – Next to Me
The third release this year from Lily Konigsberg and second with this project with Matt Norman, it is filled with everything they claim to be inspired by, which is the “Baby One More Time” era of Britney Spears and Bill Callahan at his coziest. This collaborative album feels as though they have been making music together for years even though this is only their second release together.
– Isabella
Listen to Francis and the Lights’ new album Just For Us
Francis and the Lights has released a new album called Just For Us. The 10-track LP can be streamed below. Francis Starlite announced the release on hours before it officially arrived.
The Melodic Tree 